Crossbow trigger

Abstract

A crossbow trigger whose features include only a unitary leaf spring, without the help of coiled springs, whose four end portions clamp a crossbow bolt on a crossbow stock, bias the crossbow's sight, bias the crossbow's finger lever, and prevent accidental disengagement of the crossbow's trigger safety. A stop plate is provided on the crossbow trigger's sear to automatically provide a proper space between the rear end of a crossbow bolt and the portion of the bowstring held by the cocked trigger.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a trigger unit for a crossbow having a biasable bowstring, the trigger unit being capable of being secured to a crossbow stock and having: a. a U-shaped housing with a top, left and right sides, interior and exterior protions, and forward and rear sections;   b. sight means movably attached to the forward section's exterior portion; and each of the following pivotably mounted in the housing interior:     c. sear means for releasably holding a bowstring;   d. finger lever means in the rear section of the housing for releasably locking the sear means;   e. safety means for limiting the rotational movement of the finger lever means, the safety means having a safety position notch; the improvement comprising only one unitary, leaf-type spring, and no coiled springs, for performing the functions in (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) below and having:     1. a center portion attached to the top of the trigger housing;   2. a first finger portion means extending forward beyond the housing's forward section for clamping a crossbow bolt in a predetermined position on the stock;   3. a second finger portion means extending forward beyond the housing's forward section and folding back upon itself across the forward section's exterior portion for continuously biasing the movable sight means;   4. a third finger portion means extending rearward for continuously biasing the finger lever means; and   5. a fourth finger portion means extending rearwardly of the housing for engaging the safety means' safety position notch, whereby accidental disengagement of the safety means is prevented.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 including a further improvement wherein the sear means, finger lever means, safety means, and spring are formed of metal. 
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 1 including a further improvement wherein the sear means and the safety means are pivotally mounted in the housing interior on a common sear hinge pin with the safety means within the sear means. 
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 3 including a further improvement wherein the finger lever means is pivotally mounted in the housing interior on a trigger hinge pin whose ends pass through trigger pin holes in the housing's left and right sides, each housing side being indented or countersunk towards the housing's interior portion in a region near each pin hole, whereby a hinge pin no longer than the average side to side distance of the housing will not be dislocated from its pin hole by a slight axial movement of the pin. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 1 including a further improvement wherein the sear means includes bolt stop plate means for automatically providing a uniform preselected space between the end of a crossbow bolt and a portion of the bowstring, in its biased position, intended to strike the bolt's end when the bowstring is released. 
     
     
       6. In a trigger unit for a crossbow having a biasable bowstring, the trigger unit being capable of being secured to a crossbow stock and having; a. a U-shaped housing with a top, left and right sides, interior and exterior portions, and forward and rear sections;   b. sight means movably attached to the forward section's exterior; and each of the following pivotably mounted in the housing interior:     c. sear means for holding a bowstring;   d. finger means lever in the rear section for controlling the sear means' movement;   e. safety means for preselectively restraining the firing lever's movement, the safety means having a position notch; the improvement comprising:     flat bolt stop plate means, on the sear means, for automatically providing a uniform preselected space between the end of a crossbow bolt and a portion of the bowstring, in its biased position, intended to strike the bolt's end when the bowstring is released.   
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6 including a further improvement wherein the sear means further comprises: 1. a bottom plate;   2. an L-shaped lateral plate and a C-shaped lateral plate, the two lateral plates being mutually parallel and each having a bowstring ear integral with its upper front portion; and   3. a cocking flange integrally formed from the upper rear portion of the second C-shaped lateral plate; and the bolt stop plate means is integral with the bottom plate and extends perpendicularly upward from the bottom plate between the two lateral plates only as high as the bowstring ears' bottom edge.     
     
     
       8. The invention of claim 7 including a further improvement wherein each bowstring ear has a bowstring restraining surface perpendicular to both the lateral plate from which the ear is integrally formed and the sear means' bottom plate. 
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 8 including a further improvement wherein the sear means is pivotally mounted in the housing interior by a sear hinge pin passing through a first sear pin hole in one side of the housing, through a first sear hinge hole in one of the lateral plates, through a second sear hinge hole in the other lateral plate, and through a second sear pin hole in the other housing side. 
     
     
       10. The invention of claim 9 including a further improvement wherein the sear means is pivotally mounted in the housing interior to allow the bowstring ears to drop substantially directly downward when the sear means is released by motion of the finger lever, whereby the amount of bowstring roll produced by the sear means' dropping to release the drawn bowstring is greatly restricted.